Nebraska Senator discusses NAFTA with Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross

With trade talks ongoing, Sen. Deb Fischer is making the case that NAFTA is good for Nebraska, especially the state's farmers and ranchers.

As the administration continues renegotiations on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Fischer met with Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross on Wednesday.

“Secretary Ross was very forthcoming today about where these trade negotiations currently stand. He shared examples of the priorities the administration is focused on as they develop NAFTA 2.0. I was able to highlight Nebraska’s perspective when it comes to trade and the great value of this agreement to our state’s producers, manufacturers, and exporters,” said Senator Fischer.

According to a press release, Senator Fischer attended a meeting at the White House with President Trump focused on U.S. trade policy on Tuesday. She highlighted the significance of NAFTA to agriculture exports and related manufacturing jobs in Nebraska.

Mexico and Canada are Nebraska’s two largest customers for agricultural goods. In 2016, exports of Nebraska agricultural goods to these two countries exceeded $2.9 billion and accounted for 45 percent of Nebraska’s total agricultural exports that year. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 91,400 Nebraska jobs are supported by NAFTA.

Fischer's meeting with Secretary Ross follows a visit at the White House on Tuesday with other senators.

“This afternoon at the White House, I had a good conversation with President Trump on the importance of trade to Nebraska and our country as a whole. During our conversation, I highlighted the significance of NAFTA to agriculture exports and related manufacturing jobs. I also stressed the need to safeguard the competitive advantage our agriculture producers and manufacturers have worked so hard to build. I look forward to continuing these discussions with the president and his administration in the weeks to come.”